The celebration continued long after the gifts had been opened.
Music echoed across the Vera Tribe.
Children laughed as they chased one another through the streets.
Hunters roasted spirit beasts over enormous fires while merchants distributed sweets to every child they passed.
Tonight...
No one cared about status.
No one cared about rank.
For one evening...
Everyone was simply part of one family.
Rajiv carefully carried the white egg in both hands.
Although he had received countless gifts that morning, this one never left his side.
Ananya walked beside him with a helpless smile.
"You've been staring at that egg for an hour."
Rajiv looked down at the beautiful silver patterns covering its shell.
"It feels..."
He searched for the right words.
"...alive."
Ananya gently touched the egg.
"It is alive."
"It just hasn't decided to meet you yet."
Rajiv smiled.
"Then I'll wait."
"No matter how long it takes."
Ananya ruffled his hair.
"I think whatever hatches from that egg is going to be very spoiled."
Rajiv immediately protested.
"I won't spoil it."
She laughed.
"Really?"
"You already look at it more than you look at me."
Rajiv's face turned red.
"Sister!"
Their laughter blended with the sounds of the celebration.
Watching from a distance...
Varinder and Devika smiled.
Across the square...
Thalorian stood alone.
His smile never reached his eyes.
The cheerful voices around him slowly faded.
Instead...
His thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Years into the past.
He remembered the first day.
A barren valley.
Cold winds.
Nothing but rocks and wilderness.
Varinder had stood in the center of that empty land.
His eyes had burned with determination.
"This..."
"...will become our home."
Everyone had looked around.
Nothing existed.
No houses.
No walls.
No farmland.
Only endless emptiness.
Yet somehow...
When Varinder spoke...
They believed him.
The memory faded.
Thalorian blinked.
The empty valley had become the bustling Vera Tribe before his eyes.
Children ran across streets that once didn't exist.
Homes filled land that had once been barren.
His chest tightened.
"Elder!"
A little boy tugged on his sleeve.
Thalorian looked down.
The child held out a roasted meat skewer.
"My mother said you forgot to eat."
The old elder forced a smile.
"Thank you."
The boy grinned before running away again.
Thalorian stared silently at the food.
Even now...
The people of Vera worried more about him than themselves.
His mind wandered once more.
He remembered the first winter.
Snow covered everything.
Food had almost disappeared.
Several families had secretly skipped meals.
The next morning...
Varinder discovered it.
Without saying a word...
The chief placed his own food beside the children.
When everyone protested...
He had simply smiled.
"A chief who eats while children starve..."
"...doesn't deserve to be called chief."
No one argued after that.
Everyone shared what little they had.
Together...
They survived.
"...Elder?"
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
Vicky stood beside him holding two cups.
"You've been awfully quiet today."
Thalorian accepted one.
"Just getting old."
Vicky chuckled.
"I've heard you say that every year."
The old elder smiled faintly.
"One day..."
"It'll finally be true."
Vicky laughed.
"I'll believe it when I see it."
For a brief moment...
The two old friends simply watched the celebration.
Neither spoke.
Neither knew...
It would be the last peaceful conversation they would ever share.
Rajiv suddenly appeared before them.
"Elder!"
"Uncle Vicky!"
"Look!"
He proudly lifted the white egg.
"It feels warmer now."
Vicky leaned closer.
"Maybe it likes you."
Rajiv's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
Thalorian gently placed a hand upon the shell.
Warm.
Far warmer than it should have been.
He looked at Rajiv.
"...Protect it."
Rajiv nodded seriously.
"I promised Father."
"Good."
The old elder smiled.
"Never break that promise."
Something about those words made Vicky glance toward him.
"Elder..."
"You sound as though you're saying goodbye."
For the briefest moment...
Thalorian froze.
Then he laughed softly.
"Perhaps old men simply become sentimental."
Vicky smiled.
"You're impossible."
The music grew louder.
Several elders called Vicky over to join another drinking contest.
He excused himself with a laugh.
Rajiv chased after him.
Soon...
Thalorian stood alone once again.
His smile slowly disappeared.
Another memory surfaced.
The day the first child had been born in Vera.
The entire tribe had celebrated as though the child belonged to everyone.
Varinder himself had carried the baby through the streets.
Smiling more brightly than anyone.
He had declared,
"Today..."
"Vera has taken its first step toward the future."
That child...
Was now one of the warriors guarding the outer wall.
Time had passed so quickly.
The sound of laughter pulled Thalorian back once more.
Rajiv sat surrounded by children.
He had forgotten all the expensive gifts.
Instead...
Everyone was taking turns holding the strange white egg.
Arguing over what kind of beast would hatch.
"A dragon!"
"No!"
"A phoenix!"
"I think it'll be a rabbit!"
Rajiv immediately shook his head.
"It can't be a rabbit."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Even Thalorian couldn't help smiling.
His gaze slowly shifted.
Toward the wine barrels prepared for the evening banquet.
One barrel stood slightly apart from the others.
Completely ordinary.
Completely harmless...
To everyone except him.
His breathing became heavier.
His hands unconsciously tightened.
"...Chief."
He whispered.
"...how do I protect everyone..."
"...when every path leads to someone's death?"
A single tear rolled down his weathered face.
No one noticed.
No one could hear the silent cry of the old man who had helped build Vera from nothing.
As the sun slowly disappeared beyond the mountains...
The birthday celebration entered its final stage.
The grand banquet.
Long tables were arranged across the square.
The aroma of roasted spirit beast filled the air.
Servants began carrying dishes one after another.
The villagers gathered together.
Laughing.
Talking.
Sharing stories.
Above them...
The first stars appeared.
Far beyond the western forest...
A lone owl took flight into the darkness.
Its destination...
Unknown.
Standing at the edge of the celebration...
Thalorian watched the owl disappear into the night.
For reasons he could not explain...
A deep sense of dread settled over his heart.
He looked toward the sky.
"...If only..."
"...this night could last forever."